1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of display cases and albums for retaining and displaying a variety of items and for cases and albums to retain memorabilia.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, receptacles for teeth, both mouth-morphic and plain, are known in the prior art. Parents are searching for a means to save those precious and sentimental mementos of their child. Often parents resort to using pill bottles or small tins to save the teeth, which makes it difficult to display the teeth and also has the effect of jumbling the teeth, so that parents don't know when a tooth came out, or where the tooth was in the child's mouth.
Additionally, the rise in creativity of parents and grandparents involves them in trying to frame the baby teeth or place the teeth in a scrapbook or create some type of display for these mementos.
The following fourteen (14) utility patents and one (1) design patent are relevant to the field of the present invention.    1. U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,956 issued to Edward H. Sims on Sep. 22, 1987 for “Display Receptacle For Deciduous Teeth” (hereafter the “Sims Patent”);    2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,745 issued to Carolyn A. Rose on Oct. 18, 1988 for “Tooth Storage And Display Apparatus” (hereafter the “Rose Patent”);    3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,058 issued to Mary R. Dennison on May 8, 1990 for “Container For Storing And Displaying Baby Teeth” (hereafter the “Dennison Patent”);    4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,729 issued to Edith M. Karbowniczak on Sep. 24, 1991 for “Tooth Storage Container” (hereafter the “Karbowniczak Patent”);    5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,079 issued to Philip H. Hobson et al. on Oct. 8, 1991 for “Coin Bank With Separations And Turnable Top” (hereafter the “Hobson Patent”);    6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,819 issued to Eileen S. Goldberg on Apr. 19, 1994 for “Display Holder For Teeth” (hereafter the “Goldberg Patent”);    7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,989 issued to Donn M. Delson on Mar. 7, 1995 for “Castle With Storage Compartment” (hereafter the “Delson Patent”);    8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,990 issued to Anastasia Blanchard on Apr. 8-22, 1997 for “Keepsake Holder For Baby Teeth” (hereafter the “Blanchard Patent”);    9. U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,242 issued to Jennifer L. Ryan on Aug. 17, 1999 for “Multiple Media Storage Device For Book Leaf Structure” (hereafter the “Ryan Patent”);    10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,495 issued to Julie G. Zimmerman et al. and assigned to Kallman Corporation on Mar. 21, 2000 for “Storage Page For Three-Dimensional Items” (hereafter the “Zimmerman Patent”);    11. U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,777 issued to Romeo Zoldan and assigned to Unitylab Inc. on Oct. 16, 2001 for “Coin Holder” (hereafter the “Zoldan Patent”);    12. U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,213 issued to Elaine Sandra Fram Distad on Aug. 23, 2005 for “Baby Teeth Collection Box With Pillow Toothbox” (hereafter the “Distad Patent”);    13. U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,073 issued to Richard Barnes and assigned to Dick Barnes Group on Aug. 15, 2006 for “Dental Tray Assembly” (hereafter the “Barnes Patent”);    14. UK Patent Application No. GB 2,187,715 issued to Daniel V. Breslin on Sep. 16, 1987 for “Tooth Storing Means” (hereafter the “Breslin Patent”); and    15. U.S. Pat. No. D284, 227 issued to Steven Dagowitz and Gail Dagowitz on Jun. 10, 1986 for “Combined Tooth Saver and Coin Bank” (hereafter the “Dagowitz Patent”).
The Sims Patent discloses a display receptacle for deciduous teeth. Essentially it involves a housing that is in the form of the shape of a pair of false teeth with members in which each individual tooth can be inserted and retained. Each member is releasably closed around the circumference of the mouth.
Referring to the Sims Patent, the preferred embodiment of the display receptacle shown in FIG. 1 appears to show that each receptacle is removable from the display and can therefore be lost. Additionally, though it displays each tooth separately, the teeth cannot all be simultaneously viewed without manipulation of the receptacle. Furthermore, the display receptacle is too large and bulky to be added to an album and is too awkward to be framed. Moreover, the receptacles for each tooth are of the same height with the upper teeth stored so that they rest on the bottom of the receptacle and the bottom teeth resting on the top of the receptacle, thus making viewing and accessing the teeth difficult. In addition, the display receptacles with separate tooth receptacles and hinged mouth shaped holders are more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container. In addition, there is no accommodation for recording or memorializing the event of the lost tooth.
The Rose Patent discloses the concept of having a picture frame with a picture that could, for example, be the tooth fairy which can be lifted out as shown in FIG. 2 to expose a retaining member which contains retainers for retaining each tooth as well as notes to write about the tooth and when the tooth fell out and anything else as well as an opportunity to retain the child's picture in the center of the tooth storage.
Referring to the Rose Patent, the preferred embodiment of the display shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, appears to show that the primary display is that of the “tooth fairy” or some other picture with the baby teeth stored and hidden behind this picture. Although it stores the teeth in a manner consistent with the teeth's placement in the mouth, adding a tooth to be stored requires the display to be taken apart and then a reconstruction of the various layers to return it to its former condition after the tooth has been added. Furthermore, this is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover.
The Dennison Patent discloses a container for storing and displaying baby teeth. The container includes a hollow body and a hinged cover. An insert in the body is formed with 20 upwardly opened pockets for receiving a set of 20 baby teeth. The pockets are sized in accordance with the size of the different types of teeth. In addition, the pockets are arranged such that when the teeth are stored their replacement assimilates the placement of the teeth in the upper and lower jaws.
Referring to the Dennison Patent, the preferred embodiment of the container shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, appears to hold the teeth not in the manner in which the teeth reside in the mouth, but rather in a circular pattern with the four molars in the center of this ring. Additionally, when the container is opened to view the teeth, all the teeth are exposed and in danger of becoming lost. Furthermore, there is no accommodation for recording or memorializing the event of the lost tooth and this apparatus is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover.
The Karbowiniczak Patent discloses a pocket for retaining an individual tooth with means to secure the tooth within the pocket and also a peel away means so that the tooth can be viewed within the pocket.
Referring to the Karbowiniczak Patent, the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, appears to hold only one tooth and does not have a place on which to memorialize the occasion of the loss of the tooth. Additionally, the display of all twenty deciduous teeth requires twenty separate pockets and is too bulky and too large to display on one page in an album.
The Hobson Patent discloses a coin bank. It contains the concept of having individual slots contained within a receptacle and a rotatable means so that the receptacle can be rotated to a given location wherein a coin can be dropped into an individual slot. This patent discloses the concept of a rotatable top with an opening for inserting a member into a multiplicity of divided sections within the container.
Referring to the Hobson Patent, the preferred embodiment of the coin bank as shown in FIG. 1 appears to show a freely rotating cover 20 having a slot 108 through which the coin enters the bank, with no means of locking or holding the cover or the slot in any particular position. Furthermore, this coin bank is made of numerous parts and is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover. It also does not have a low profile and is not lightweight enough to be put in a scrapbook or photo album.
In the Goldberg Patent, “a tooth holder is provided with U-shaped storage members that have multiple transparent compartments each accommodating a particular tooth. Each storage member includes a base in which a set of the compartments are formed and a detachable cover therefor. The cover snaps on top of a respective base to hold the teeth in the compartments in place. The storage members are secured to a casing having a hinge such that the storage members can be pivoted and secured one on top of the other for storage. The casing includes a shelf that extends beyond each base so that a label indicating the date of tooth loss can be placed on the shelf adjacent the compartment in which the tooth is placed.” This patent discloses the concept of having a transparent compartment to retain the teeth and means for having notations on when the tooth fell out on a circumference around the teeth. The device simulates the mouth and basically has a hingeable cover that folds over.
Referring to the Goldberg Patent, the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, shows a cover member 14, 16 with a depression 15, 17 to cover the entirety of the lower compartments and the entirety of the upper compartments. Adding a tooth to either the lower compartments or the upper compartments requires the removal of the cover member, thus uncovering all the compartments in that section. Furthermore, the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 does not allow for the viewing of all the teeth simultaneously without manipulation of the device and if made of a transparent plastic would allow viewing of only one compartment. The device also cannot be placed in a photo album or scrapbook.
The Delson Patent is a castle structure which contains a central storage compartment. It provides a means to store a container that is used in conjunction with a tooth fairy bed time story so that the tooth can be placed in the container when alternatively a dollar bill or some other compensation to the child is provided with the tooth.
Referring to the Delson Patent, the preferred embodiment of the castle as shown in FIG. 1 appears to show a single receptacle for storing all the teeth, rather than a receptacle for each individual tooth, so that all the teeth stored may rattle around and become damaged. Additionally, there is no means to memorialize each tooth nor is there a means to identify each tooth. Moreover, the main display is that of a castle and is not meant to be part of an album or scrapbook. Furthermore, this castle is made of numerous parts and is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover.
The Blanchard Patent is a keepsake holder for baby teeth and once again employs the concept of having a means to save the baby's tooth as well as a means to record information about when each tooth came out. Specifically, it is a keepsake holder for baby teeth which provides parents, guardians and others with a convenient way in which to save and display a child's baby teeth. The holder comprises a generally folded card having a top leaf and a bottom leaf. Attached to the inside of the top leaf are preferably graphical representations and dental terminology indicia corresponding to a child's twenty baby teeth. Attached to the bottom leaf is a plurality of date entry lines for entering the dates on the sheet that a child's baby tooth fell out. Also attached to the bottom leaf is a multi-pocketed double ply transparent sheet for separately retaining the child's baby teeth. Cross-referencing indicia are disposed adjacent each graphical representation, dental terminology indica, data entry line and pocket to cross-reference each baby tooth to its graphical representation, its dental terminology and the date it fell out.
Referring to the Blanchard Patent, the preferred embodiment of the keepsake holder as shown in FIG. 2, appears to show the “identifying means 50 also comprises dental terminology indicia 54 of a child's baby teeth” which is adjacent to the tooth retainer, not incorporated within it. This is just a folded card with pockets for each tooth, and as such does not offer durability as molded plastic does. Should the top leaf become removed from the keepsake holder, the tooth indicia information is lost. Additionally, the teeth are stored in the order they come out and are numbered such that the first tooth to come out is number 1, the second tooth is number 2, and so on, rather than stored in the order they appear in the mouth. Furthermore, this keepsake holder is made of numerous parts and is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover.
The Ryan Patent is a multiple media storage device for book leaf structures. In this invention a multiple media storage device is for attachment to a conventional book leaf. The device includes a two dimensional storage compartment and/or three dimensional storage compartment which has an optional data entry area associated with the storage compartments. The data entry area is a writing area provided for entry of printed information on the device. The device is attached to a conventional book leaf via a substrate that holds the integral storage compartments and data entry areas being adhered to the surface of the book leaf. An alternative embodiment integrates the device into a book leaf structure. The book leaf structure may have multiple devices on a single page, each of which may hold entry areas for printed information related to objects in the storage compartments. The storage compartments may be transparent to allow viewing the contents without opening the storage compartment. Optional leaf structures provide storage compartments which are exposed on both sides of the leaf to allow viewing the contents of the storage compartment from both sides. The storage compartments may be sealed such that the contents of the storage compartments are protected from environmental damage.
In referring to the Ryan Patent, preferred embodiment of the storage device, as shown in FIG. 2, appears to show that the storage device protrudes from both the front and back side of the page, rather than lying flat on the page. The cover for the storage device is a single piece that encompasses the entirety of the storage device and is designed so that access to one pocket requires removal of the device from the three-ring binder and allows all pockets to be opened simultaneously.
The Zimmerman Patent discloses the concept of a storage page for a three ring binder which has a plurality of three dimensional cavities for storing and displaying three dimensional objects. However, access to a cavity requires removal from the display device, such as a three-ring binder, and removal of the cover which will open all the other cavities on the storage page, rather than access to only one cavity.
The Zoldan Patent discloses a coin holder which has a rotatable cover with an opening that enables a coin to be dropped into a given section within the coin holder. However, the coin holder is not a display device and merely vertically stacks coins, one upon the other. Additionally, the coin holder is not adaptable to display itself in a frame or scrapbook. Furthermore, this keepsake holder is made of numerous parts and is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,213 issued to Distad discloses a “Baby Teeth Collector Box With Pillow Toothbox.” It discloses a circular box with dividing portions in the box in order to enable individual teeth to be segregated. There is also a card on the bottom of the box which has a photograph and pictures to show which specific tooth is placed in that slot and an area in which notes can be made about the tooth. In addition to that, there is a shield card 86 which is placed within the box and when the box is inverted the shield card permits a particular tooth to be examined relative to the location where it is indicated as to what tooth it was. In addition to that, the box has a cover which can be removable.
In referring to the Distad Patent, a preferred embodiment of the collector box appears to show a cover that is solid and opaque and must be lifted off the box, thereby exposing all the compartments when attempting to add or extract a tooth. The cover does not rotate around the compartments nor is there an aperture in the cover to access one tooth, while protecting the others. Additionally, while the shape of each compartment may vary, the depth of each compartment does not. In addition, the notes and indications for each tooth are retained within each compartment of the collector box, rather than affixed to the device, so it is easier to associate the recorded information without having to lift off the cover and remove the tooth. The device also cannot be accommodated I a photo album or scrapbook.
The Barnes Patent is a dental tray which basically retains dental prosthetics and has a cover which protects the prosthetics. The cover can be retracted to expose one or more of the prosthetics. However, the cover does not rotate and it allows access to all compartments simultaneously. Additionally, the dental tray has an opaque two-layer cover that prevents viewing of items unless the cover is open. In addition, there is no means to record notations regarding that which is being stored, nor any indications of how the prosthetics should be stored. Furthermore, this keepsake holder is made of numerous parts and is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container with a single molded cover.
The United Kingdom Patent application was published in 1987 and is a tooth storing means. It has the picture of a mouth where teeth can be stored and a means for showing when the teeth were placed in the structure.
Referring to the United Kingdom Patent, the preferred embodiment of the tooth storing means shown in FIG. 1 appears to show that access to add to or extract from each tooth element is by a sliding lid that opens all ten tooth elements at a time. Additionally, although it displays each tooth separately, the teeth cannot all be seen simultaneously without manipulation of the receptacle. In addition, viewing is further impeded by the gum and lips added to the frontal viewing area, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. Furthermore, the tooth storing means is too large and bulky to be added to an album and is too awkward to be framed. Moreover, the tooth elements for each tooth are of the same height with the upper teeth stored so that they rest on the bottom of the receptacle and the bottom teeth resting on the top of the receptacle, thus making viewing and accessing the teeth difficult. In addition, the tooth storing means with separate tooth elements and hinged mouth shaped holders are more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container.
The Dagowitz Patent, as sold in its current form, is a resin bank in the shape of a giant tooth resting atop a hard resin pillow. On the pillow at the base of the tooth are twenty (20) recessed receptacles all of the same size and depth, numbered 1 through 20, to indicate the order in which the tooth that fell out and topped by a revolving see-through plastic with a number. On the underside of the pillow is a sticker on which notations may be made regarding the tooth with reference to the tooth limited to the order number.
Referring to the Dagowitz Patent, the present embodiment does not have a closing space over which to place the aperture, with the result that the present embodiment has its aperture resting over the opening of at least one and sometimes two of the receptacles. In addition, the size of the tooth in the center of the pillow is such that the teeth cannot be viewed simultaneously, except from a one view only: a direct overhead view where the tooth in the center still impedes viewing. Moreover, all receptacles have identical size and depth. In addition, the aperture does not have a flange to hold its position over a receptacle. Additionally, there is no means to differentiate between the upper and lower teeth. Moreover, while there is a recording device on the bottom, the recording device does not correlate to the receptacle above it nor is there a means to determine which receptacle is above the recording area. To determine which receptacle and tooth is being referenced requires that the teeth to be removed to see the number on the bottom of the receptacle. Furthermore, the tooth saver is not adaptable to be framed or placed in an album or scrapbook. In addition, the tooth saver is more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container.
Storage devices with multiple compartments such as those found in dental supplies exist in the prior art. These are generally for the purpose of storing braces, brackets and prosthetics. However, the compartments for these are not sized for baby teeth. Additionally, these containers do not generally include a means for viewing while simultaneously protecting that which is stored. Further, these containers are not adaptable for placement in scrapbooks, albums or frames. Moreover, these storage devices are generally comprised of multiple parts and are more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container.
Storage devices with multiple compartments to store teeth in the manner in which teeth are placed in the mouth exist in the prior art. However, these compartments do not display the teeth equally, as the teeth in the upper portion are easily seen because they rest on the bottom of the compartment in which they reside, whereas the teeth in the lower portion of the display, rest on the underside of the top of their compartments, due to gravity, and are not as visible because these teeth are resting below the “gum line.” Visibility of the teeth is further impeded when additions to the front are added, such as “gums” and “lips.” Additionally, these devices generally do not allow all the teeth to be seen at the same time. For example, when viewing the right molars, the teeth on the left side cannot be seen. In addition, these devices generally lack the combination of a means to identify the tooth, a means to memorialize the event, and a cover that allows access to only one tooth at a time. Further, these containers are not adaptable for placement in scrapbooks, albums or frames. Moreover, these containers are comprised of a multiplicity of parts and are more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container.
Storage devices with multiple compartments such as those found in craft stores exist in the prior art. These compartments are generally designed for the purpose of storing sewing or craft supplies. However, these compartments are too large for storing a single tooth. Additionally, access to one compartment generally entails removal of the lid which covers all the compartments, thus exposing all the compartments and making their contents vulnerable to damage and loss.
Tooth storage devices with multiple compartments such as those found in toy stores exist in the prior art. These compartments are generally designed with a primary purpose to enhance the toy aspect of the storage device, with the storage of the teeth a secondary function, and with the viewing of the teeth, last, if at all. Additionally, such devices are too large and bulky to be added to an album or cannot be framed. Further, these compartments are not designed for individual teeth; either there is one giant compartment for one or more teeth or all the compartments are the same size and shape without differentiation for larger and smaller teeth. Moreover, the teeth storage devices do not include a transparent cover that has the ability to cover all compartments simultaneously, nor do such devices have the ability to view all the teeth at the same time from a multiplicity of angles, nor do these devices have a cover with an aperture that can lock in place. Moreover, these containers are comprised of a multiplicity of parts and are more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container.
Rotating lids on storage devices with multiple compartments such as those found in toy and novelty stores exist in the prior art. These lids are generally designed for the purpose of adding a coin to the bank. However, these rotating lids are generally not designed to display that which is stored and are usually opaque, relying on the sides of the container to be transparent for viewing. In some cases, there is no provision for viewing the stored items. In addition, the rotating lid has no mechanism to keep it in a particular place, thus allowing the lid and its aperture to move freely over the compartments, thereby allowing anything to enter or exit the compartments. Moreover, the apertures generally do not have a closing position, wherein the aperture is not in position over a storage compartment. In addition, these rotating lids are not the means through which the stored items are viewed, nor do these lids lend themselves to adaptability into a frame or an album. Moreover, these containers are comprised of a multiplicity of parts and are more complex and expensive to manufacture than a single molded container.
There is a significant need for an improved baby tooth holder to retain a child's baby teeth for posterity.